First homebrew....phase 2

Quick history

Ok, so I'm on my first homebrew using BB American Cream Ale. Boiled everything up per the directions...my sanitation was pretty good. Had bubblling in the airlock maybe a few hours post yeast pitch (didnt start the yeast before hand...just sprinkle and stirred good). Fermentation picked up for the next 24-32 hours....getting steady bubbling.. as soon as the airlock burped a new bubble was showing a slow steady rise. By 48 hours the bubbling all but stopped. Fermentation temp varied from 66-72 degrees. I dont have a method of keeping a steady temp, did the best I could with what mother nature provided. I know bubbling isnt the end all be all sign of fermentation, but Everything sound good so far?

So tonight, 5 solid day in the primary I decide I'm going to siphon into a 5gal carboy (my secondary) I dont know if I will be using a secondary in the future as from what I have read, its necessity is questionable. Anyway, I wanted to give it a try for experience sake, and to maybe clear some trub....plus I wanted to lay eyes on by new brew! Popped the lid to the primary and took a big sniff. Smells a little sweet...like sweet beer with a hint of apple cider. Not sure what to make of it... I smell alcohol... and it doesnt smell offensive.. so I'm guessing all is good thus far. There was a good gunky white layer on the bottom of the empty primary (yeast cake?)

So I dont know if I'm technically conditioning my brew or in secondary fermentation. I dont have any yeast to add and there are no bubbles. The brew is pretty murky. So, I guess I dont have any specific questions per say...I guess I just want some reassurance that everything is looking and sounding as it should.

I'm already looking forward to my next batch. I'm def. going to get a few supplies and such to make the entire process less clumsy and more streamlined. Here are a few pics of stage 2...

again....tilt head 90 degrees to the left for picture viewing... der..

Did you take gravity readings over a couple of days to determine that fermentation had finished? If not you probably moved the beer off the yeast too soon. You will still have good beer but probably not as good as it could be.

Try not the rush the process. Get another fermenter and get another beer going. If you build up a pipeline you will be less pressed to rush things.

Well I was gonna take a gravity reading tonight.. I was soaking all my gear in lightly bleached water to sanitize (gonna get star san soon) and some how my hydrometer was in two pieces when I returned to the bucket.

Hope I didnt scrrrrew it up... Instructions in the packet said 5-7 days.. longer may be better huh?

i wouldn't worry about it, it will be good beer and i don't think it will make a bit of a difference that you racked it. The yeast is still in suspension and that is what is doing the work, the trub/yeast that settled out isn't doing nearly as much

cool.... I like your answer better! haha (no offense kh54)

I def. will let me brew sit longer in the future....ive seen posts where people kinda forget about their primary and let it sit for like 2 months and be all good.


any further feedback is welcomed!!

All4meGROG said:

cool.... I like your answer better! haha (no offense kh54)


any further feedback is welcomed!!

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sometime the answer you like more isn't exactly correct. Your beer will most likely be fine, but 7 days isn't long enough. If you had a lag time of 48-72 hrs, which isn't uncommon, you're talking 4-5 days in primary. Whereas most of the fermentation is probably complete, you're now relying an the few millions yeasties that made it into secondary instead of the hundreds of billions of yeasties that were doing the job in primary. The short primary/secondary method will make good beer, but a long primary will make better beer IMO.

unionrdr said:

I let mine stay in primary,letting it get down to a stable FG,however long that takes. Then 3-7 days more to clean up & settle out more. When it's clear or just slightly hazy,I rack to the bottling bucket.

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So your method... allow for a stable FG (shows fermentation is complete) Wait another week for conditioning... then rack to bottling bucket and bottle right away? Then allw for a few weeks for bottle conditioning?

NordeastBrewer77 said:

sometime the answer you like more isn't exactly correct. Your beer will most likely be fine, but 7 days isn't long enough. If you had a lag time of 48-72 hrs, which isn't uncommon, you're talking 4-5 days in primary. Whereas most of the fermentation is probably complete, you're now relying an the few millions yeasties that made it into secondary instead of the hundreds of billions of yeasties that were doing the job in primary. The short primary/secondary method will make good beer, but a long primary will make better beer IMO.

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Can you tell how much lag time there was based on airlock activity? I understand lag time to be the time after pitching the yeast and before any alcohol production begins. During this time the yeasties are utilizing the o2 in the wort and strrengthening. I had my best airlock activity within 24 hours and had none for several days before transferring into secondary. In the future I will allow the wort to sit in primairy longer for sure.

How long would you guys let this batch sit in the secondary? Its in a carboy...

All4meGROG said:

Can you tell how much lag time there was based on airlock activity? I understand lag time to be the time after pitching the yeast and before any alcohol production begins. During this time the yeasties are utilizing the o2 in the wort and strrengthening. I had my best airlock activity within 24 hours and had none for several days before transferring into secondary. In the future I will allow the wort to sit in primairy longer for sure.

How long would you guys let this batch sit in the secondary? Its in a carboy...

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Noone can tell you anything based on airlock activity alone. The lag time would be from the time you pitched until the time the krausen started to take off. Really, what you'd want to do is make sure you have stable gravity readings for three days before transferring to secondary/keg/bottling bucket.

All4meGROG said:

So your method... allow for a stable FG (shows fermentation is complete) Wait another week for conditioning... then rack to bottling bucket and bottle right away? Then allw for a few weeks for bottle conditioning?

Click to expand...

The extra 3-7 days is for clean up & settling out more After a stavle FG is reached. It depends on how many days till it looks clear or just slightly hazy,& tastes good. I use a shot glass for that. Then rack to bottling bucket,prime to style,& bottle. I've found that 4-5 weeks is best to condition. But carbonation is usually good at about 3 weeks.

A good thing to remember is that 'secondary fermentation' is something of a misnomer. The big purpose of moving it is to let things clear. That said, it will clear just as well by sitting in the primary longer, with the only real reason to use a secondary being if you want to add something later, like dry hops or some sort of flavoring. The only other reason is if you have one bigger vessel (say 6.5 gallons) that can leave room for the krausen when all your other ones are 5 gallons. You can move it then after the primary to free up the big bucket for another batch and let it sit in the 5 gallon to clear/condition. I still use secondary for the last reason, plus it can leave a bit smaller head space for oxygen absorption if your looking at really long aging of several months not sure if the head space is even a valid concern, but I'm a creature of habit.